1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for selecting and displaying a printing process during prepress processing. In particular, the present invention relates to the selection and display, during prepress processing, of a printing process that is to be executed during the printing of an image displayed on a screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image processing systems have recently been developed that allow a computer-aided page make-up process. In such image processing systems, an operator inputs into the system, with a scanner or like element, a variety of image data that represent image parts, such as characters, figures, and pictures. The operator then lays out the image parts as a page for printing through interaction with the image parts that are displayed on a monitor screen.
As a part of the page make-up process, in prepress processing ornamental effects are selected, which are to be included in the final printing of the pages stored in the system. Such ornamental effects, generally known as prepress process information, include outline types, white-open faces, and overlay in an overlapped area between a character and a picture. The operator selects desired ornamental effects, which are then stored in the form of prepress instructions to the page make-up process. Accordingly, in the aforementioned known systems for a page make-up process, during the prepress processing information that represents a specific printing process is selected by the operator and stored in the system for execution when the image part or parts for which the process is selected are printed. A typical method for selecting a desired process is given below.
The operator first selects, by the use of a mouse, a first image part from a plurality of image parts displayed on the screen. The system then highlights the first image part on the monitor screen. Highlighting is a process of enhancing a part of the display by, for example, displaying the selected image part in black or another predetermined color.
The operator then selects using the mouse, and the system highlights, a second image part. In a subsequent step, the operator selects with the mouse a desired menu title from a menu bar having a plurality of menu titles. The system opens a pull-down menu with a plurality of titles representing different printing processes. The operator then clicks the mouse to select a process title, which corresponds to the desired process, and the system stores the selected process title between the first image part and the second image part. As is generally known, the system stores the selected process title in a memory along with the name or address of the first image part and the name or address of the second image part. Accordingly, during printing the contents of the memory then instruct the system that the selected process is to be executed with the printing of the first image part and the second image part.
In the conventional method as described above, the particular image part for which the process is selected is sometimes incorrectly identified by the operator. For example, the operator could mistake two image parts, which are overlapped with each other and are both highlighted on the monitor screen, for a single image part.
The operator generally proceeds with the prepress processing by selecting a process title according to the contents of prepress instruction sheets that are given to the operator. The instructions on such prepress instruction sheets are generally handwritten and correspond to the desired printing processes. FIG. 16 shows an example of such a prepress instruction sheet. In FIG. 16, a process title representing a specific printing process (for example, "Overlaying" or "Black Overprinting" in the drawing) is written at an end of a line that is drawn from the target image part for which the process title is to be selected. The operator checks the prepress instruction sheet and selects a process title corresponding to the desired printing process. The specification of prepress process information in such prepress instruction sheets is, however, quite different from the display on the screen of the conventional apparatus. In the conventional apparatus and method the entire image part is highlighted. This difference in display often confuses the operator who could make mistakes. Accordingly, the conventional method does not distinctly specify the image part for which a certain process title is to be selected and, therefore, gives a feeling of uneasiness to the operator, thereby lowering the working efficiency.